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By M. R. Pickus, I. W. Pickus

Ordinarily age-hardening is thought of as being associated with a limited solubility of one metal in another. Much less has been written about the type of age-hardening that attends the formation of superstructures. Solid solutions generally have a disordered or random arrangement of atoms; that is to say, in a unit cell, such as that of the face-centered cubic lattice, there is no distinction between atomic sites. Atoms of a given metal may occupy cube corners or face centers. Under certain conditions, however, some alloys develop what is known as an ordered structure. In this case, cube corners would be occupied by only one type of atom and face centers by another type. Associated with this ordering process are many interesting changes in physical and electrical properties. Moreover, in many instances the alloys become susceptible to age-hardening. From the evidence now to be described, it appears that age-hardening in 14-carat gold alloys is due to the formation of both a superstructure and a precipitate. Alloys of the metals gold, silver and copper were known in antiquity. The available knowledge regarding their constitution has been ably summarized and extended by Sterner-Rainer,' Jänecke,2 Carter,3 Wise,4 and Coleman.5 Despite the long familiarity with these alloys and the numerous investigations of their properties that have been made, there is still much that remains unexplained. It has been known for a long time that the hardness of these alloys is closely related to the rate of cooling. Similar changes have been observed in the binary gold-copper systemI6 one alloy of which corresponding to the formula CU³AU, has been the subject of a careful and competent report by the English investigators, Sykes and Evans.7 They have established the fact that the shift of atoms from the ordered to the disordered condition takes place in some critical temperature range. At temperatures above the critical range the structure is random, and at temperatures below it the structure is ordered. No difference between these two structures is revealed by the microscope. Both have a face-centered cubic lattice and complete solubility, so that there is no evidence to suggest that the changes in properties are associated with a phase change. The more slowly the alloy is cooled, the higher is the degree to which the ordering process proceeds and the more marked is the increase in hardness. As experimental data were accumulated on I4-carat gold alloys, several contradictions arose. Certain observations tended to confirm the existence of a superstructure, while other observations seemed to be inconsistent with such a transformation. Present Investigation As a focal point about which to develop this subject, it is expedient to consider first

Jan 1, 1943

By Freeman Bishop

More than a few discussions are taking place these days among management economists seeking a way out of the dilemma of lower productivity vs. higher labor costs. Most suggestions would be illegal under present antitrust laws. Otherwise interindustry cooperation could be used to divide up some of management's tasks. Or price structures might be tuned to the special machinery and skills of some plants. Both remedies would be under attack almost immediately. There is one other remedy that is getting lots of attention: some form of compromise between management and labor to phase out no longer needed work practices that unions insist shall be retained. Railroads are the national industry suffering the most from this disease, still known as "featherbedding," an epithet coined by the railroaders themselves.

Jan 1, 1971

By G. P. Halliwell, C. R. Austin

The investigation described in this paper deals with the development of high-temperature alloys of the Konel series over a considerable period of time at t,he Research Laboratories of the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co. The word ''Konel" has been coined to designate a class of alloys which are essentially nickel-cobalt-iron with other elements added, usually in small quantities. Most of these alloys contain titanium, usually about 2.5 per cent. The main consideration related to strength at high temperatures but the thermionic characteristics of the alloys was also of considerable importance. It is, however, with the mechanical properties at elevated temperatures that we are herein concerned. Much attention has also been devoted to their age-hardening characteristics. There is little need to stress the utilitarian aspect of this subject, as it has been discussed frequently. Alloys exhibiting superior properties at normal or elevated temperatures rapidly find many suitable applications. There may be some question, however, as to what constitutes a "superior alloy," or an alloy that may have good service possibilities at high temperatures. The problem is complex and various means have been employed to predict the useful life that may be expected of a material. In recent years the "creep limitJ' has been used as the best means of evaluation. Such tests necessarily are prolonged and hence collection of data is very slow. In a general survey of many alloys therefore the creep test is not desirable and recourse must be had to much shorter time tests in order more rapidly to select alloys which appear to show promise. For this reason the present survey has been made using the high-temperature tensile test and a bend test developed by Howard Scott.' In the tensile test the conditions have been standardized for all tests, so that values obtained are at least comparable, one alloy with another, although the absolute values recorded merely indicate the mechanical properties at the given temperature under a definite rate of loading.

Jan 1, 1932

By CLARENCE WM. POY

THE most common difficulty faced by an engineer or mine operator when opening a new property in a new field is the lack of roads and of cheap transportation. This one item often swings the balance of success or failure in starting a project. In Alaska, as elsewhere, such problems are more or less serious. In the boom days around the Valdez district, as well as in other parts of this territory, freighting was accom¬plished by dog teams or horses, or even by men that were willing to put their shoulders into harness, because there were virtually no roads. More important, there was only one time when supplies could be transported, and that was when there was suffi¬cient snow on the ground following a heavy wind. Then, and only then, could one depend on the snow to support horses and sleighs, and be sure that the gulleys, streams, and crevices in the glaciers were filled with snow to avoid pitfalls. These methods were used when one had no roads, no streams in the summer to float a barge, or even a trail for a pack train. If the snow was deep and soft, trans

Jan 1, 1935

By W. E. Remmers

The defect in wire known as "cuppiness" has appeared and disappeared from time to time but the exact cause of its appearance or disappearance has not heretofore been known definitely. This defect is not limited to one particular metal or alloy but seems to be found at various times in all of the materials that are drawn into wire. Fig. 1 represents cuppy wire made from an aluminum alloy and Fig. 2 illustrates copper wire that became cuppy in drawing without intermediate annealing. Differences of opinion are current among the manufacturers of wire and in the literature (see bibliography at end of paper), some believing that the source of the trouble lies in segregation in the wire rod, oxides, sulfides, slag, etc.; others that the trouble is created by an unevenness of stress distribution across the section of the wire, usually thought of as being a function of die shape. All of the published work is of a qualitative rather than a quantitative nature. With this in mind, it was deemed advisable to make a study of the shape of the wire-drawing dies, as well as the oxygen content of the copper to be drawn. Experimental After several methods were tried, it was found that by studying the contour of the butt-end of the rod after drawing a measure of the "working" across the section of the wire could be made. The butt-end of the annealed rod was not sheared but was sawed off. The end was then smoothed with a fine file so that the plane of filing was perpendicular to the drawing axis. It is to be noted that this method is not an absolute measure of the distribution of cold working but is a very good indicative means of studying comparative values. The method of examining a tension break in wire was found to be the most sensitive in detecting cuppiness. Other methods, such as microscopic examination of longitudinal sections, X-ray radiographic studies, etching away of outer layers with nitric acid, and fracture by bending, can all be used to identify cuppy wire but the tension break will give the fracture characteristic of cuppiness before any of the other methods can

Jan 1, 1930

By Oliver Bowles

WAR necessities have spurred inventive genius in many fields. A grinding mill without any moving grinding parts stirs the imagination. Among the new and striking accomplishments in the heterogeneous group of nonmetallic industrial minerals is the use of an electric arc to speed up manyfold the difficult and delicate task of drilling a microscopic hole in a diamond, the hardest of all known substances. Outstanding in the field of optical research is the ability that man has developed to improve upon nature by making in the laboratory optical crystals many times larger than those usually found in rocky crevices. These are merely samples of numerous events and circumstances of noteworthy import, many of which are recorded in this review. Termination of the second World War in 1945 permits an appraisal of the effects of the conflict and the probable effects of the coming restoration of a peacetime economy on the nonmetallic mineral industries. Some industries were stimulated greatly by the war, notably mica, quartz crystal, graphite, spinning asbestos, potash, fluorspar, barite, and refractories. The large-tonnage industries connected with the building trades, however, were forced to curtail their activities, except where their products were needed for wartime construction. Their reconversion to peacetime production will not be difficult.

Jan 1, 1946

By W. A. Ver Wiebe

Spurred on by the very high demands for new crude supplies resulting from World War 11, the oil men of Kansas strained every effort in 1943 to find as many new pools as possible. In all, 1761 test wells were drilled, ,of which 895 were successful in finding new oil supplies and 32 in finding new gas supplies. The total number of wildcat wells drilled in Kansas was 577, including the so-called "extension wildcats," which are located less than 2 miles from production. As a result of the very determined effort to find new oil reserves, 49 of the wildcat test wells found new oil pools in western Kansas and 7 found new oil pools in eastern Kansas. There were 289 rank wildcat tests, and among these 28 were successful ventures. They are responsible for 26 of the new oil pools recorded for the year and 2 of the new gas pools recorded. The ratio of dry holes to producing wells among such rank wildcats is thus approximately 10 to I (289 dry and 28 good). This compares with a ratio of II: I in 1942 and 6:1 in 1941; the same in 1940 and 5:Iin 1939. With nearly all wells flowing to their maximum economic capacity, the total production for Kansas during 1943 reached a new high; that is, 107,700,000 bbl., compared with 97,000,000 during the previous year. Similarly, the amount of gas sold during 1943 made a new high point on the production curve. The total amount was 122 billion cubic feet, compared with about 98 1/2 billion cubic feet for the year previous. As usual, the large Hugoton field of south- western Kansas accounted for approximately half of the total gas production. Highlights of the Year Despite the fact that 56 new pools were found in Kansas during 1943, it must be admitted that the future reserves of the state have not been increased greatly. Most of the new pools seem to be of minor value, although it is admittedly impossible to gauge the future production of any pool in Kansas with any exactitude. Judging by the later performance of some of the pools found in 1942 and in 1941, less than five of the new pools are likely to make any great contribution to the state's future oil reserves. Taking up the counties of Kansas in alphabetical order, the following statements summarize the highlights of the year. In Graham County, the Morel pool was extended to the southeast and this pool now promises to become one of the important pools of western Kansas. Several of the older wells have already contributed more than I000,000 bbl. of oil, and such a figure is considered very satisfactory in Kansas. In McPherson County, important new reserves were found by persistent drilling in township 17 S., R. I. W., the most northeastern township of the county. Many new wells in older pools and discovery wells in new pools make this region look promising. The Lindsborg pool, which had a sensational revival during 1942, was also extended in a number of directions and has now become a rather large producing area with a fairly high future potential capacity.

Jan 1, 1944

By W. A. Ver Wiebe

Spurred on by the very high demands for new crude supplies resulting from World War 11, the oil men of Kansas strained every effort in 1943 to find as many new pools as possible. In all, 1761 test wells were drilled, ,of which 895 were successful in finding new oil supplies and 32 in finding new gas supplies. The total number of wildcat wells drilled in Kansas was 577, including the so-called "extension wildcats," which are located less than 2 miles from production. As a result of the very determined effort to find new oil reserves, 49 of the wildcat test wells found new oil pools in western Kansas and 7 found new oil pools in eastern Kansas. There were 289 rank wildcat tests, and among these 28 were successful ventures. They are responsible for 26 of the new oil pools recorded for the year and 2 of the new gas pools recorded. The ratio of dry holes to producing wells among such rank wildcats is thus approximately 10 to I (289 dry and 28 good). This compares with a ratio of II: I in 1942 and 6:1 in 1941; the same in 1940 and 5:Iin 1939. With nearly all wells flowing to their maximum economic capacity, the total production for Kansas during 1943 reached a new high; that is, 107,700,000 bbl., compared with 97,000,000 during the previous year. Similarly, the amount of gas sold during 1943 made a new high point on the production curve. The total amount was 122 billion cubic feet, compared with about 98 1/2 billion cubic feet for the year previous. As usual, the large Hugoton field of south- western Kansas accounted for approximately half of the total gas production. Highlights of the Year Despite the fact that 56 new pools were found in Kansas during 1943, it must be admitted that the future reserves of the state have not been increased greatly. Most of the new pools seem to be of minor value, although it is admittedly impossible to gauge the future production of any pool in Kansas with any exactitude. Judging by the later performance of some of the pools found in 1942 and in 1941, less than five of the new pools are likely to make any great contribution to the state's future oil reserves. Taking up the counties of Kansas in alphabetical order, the following statements summarize the highlights of the year. In Graham County, the Morel pool was extended to the southeast and this pool now promises to become one of the important pools of western Kansas. Several of the older wells have already contributed more than I000,000 bbl. of oil, and such a figure is considered very satisfactory in Kansas. In McPherson County, important new reserves were found by persistent drilling in township 17 S., R. I. W., the most northeastern township of the county. Many new wells in older pools and discovery wells in new pools make this region look promising. The Lindsborg pool, which had a sensational revival during 1942, was also extended in a number of directions and has now become a rather large producing area with a fairly high future potential capacity.

Jan 1, 1944

By Harry T. Hamilton

THE genial assistant to the president of the New York Trust Co. is the latest addition to the Institute's board of directors, having been elected at the March meeting of the hoard to fill the unexpired term of the late E. E. Ellis. Usually when a banker is appointed to the board of a company the reason is obvious; the difference in this case is that the New York Trust Co. has some of the Institute's money, instead of vice versa. But Harry Hamilton is not really a banker-at least not primarily. Frefluently big financial institutions have a good mining engineer on their staffs to keep them from financing too many "cats and dogs." At any rate Mr. Hamilton gave up his consulting practice in San Francisco back in 1927, to accept his present position in New York. Until then, from the time he graduated from Yale in 1904, lie was constantly engaged in mining operations of one kind or another in the West and in Mexico. His first job was at Christmas, Ariz., where lie did "sampling and miscellaneous work" for the Saddle Mountain Mining Co. The writer tramped up to, all over, and through that property one hog day many years later, when it was run by the Christmas Mining Co., and carp assure the reader that without doubt the young Yale graduate got some good experience and was well broken in. From there Mr. Hamilton went to Cananea for a time, and then to the Copper Queen, at Bisbee, where he was a valued member of the rigging gang. An assignment of assaying and sampling for the Shan¬non Copper Co. at Metcalf lasted for a few months and then he accepted a job for a year with the geological department

Jan 1, 1936

By AIME AIME

THE 123d meeting of the Institute was held in New York Feb. 14 to 17, 1921. The total registration was 1199, as compared with 1138 at the New York meeting in 1920. The weather was a strange and welcome contrast to that of last year, when New York was buried under six feet of snow as the result of the fiercest blizzard in its history. This year there was no snow, and the weather was said to be much more like an Arizona winter than New York. A complete program of the Technical Sessions is on p. 9. The discussions of the papers presented will be published in pamphlet form as soon as possible and will be noted in MINING AND METALLURGY in the usual way.

Jan 1, 1921

By David, Levinger

THESE observations of the metal-working industries of Europe are based on a three months' tour of eight countries of Europe, in which 75 industrial establishments were visited in England, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Austria and Switzerland during the summer of 1927. Since the Western Electric Co. is a large consumer of copper and brass, these industries were of particular interest and differences in practices were of keen interest to us.

Jan 1, 1928

By Edwin Higgins

SINCE the "Days of Forty-nine" California has been the premier gold producing state of the union. The greatest production was recorded in 1.852, during which year the state's placer and lode deposits yielded over 81 millions. This peak was followed by a steady decline to about 12 millions during the years 1888 to 189.3, a period marked by the cessation of gravel mining. After 1893, production increased to a new peak of over 22 million in 1915, thereafter decreasing steadily to something over 13 million in 1923. Today; California's gold production shows a decrease of 84 per cent. as compared with the output of 1852, and a decrease of 41 per cent, as compared with 1915. It is not a difficult matter to find the causes of this more recent decline. In 1916 there began an upward swing in the cost of labor, which represents approximately 60 per cent. of the cost of mining, and in the price of supplies, representing the remaining, 40 per cent. This rise continued until 1922 and since that year there has been no decided tendency either upward or downward. The increase in the cost of mining since 1916 is variously estimated at from 50 to 75 per cent.; the price of gold has remained fixed at $20.67 per oz. This condition resulted in wiping out the profits of the low-grade operations which, in recent years, have constituted California's main source of supply of gold ore. It is now predicted that there will be renewed activity in California- gold mining. What are chances for the materialization of this forecast? A boom or even a revival of gold mining must of necessity be brought about or accompanied by one or more of the following factors: 1. A decrease in the cost of mining. 2. An increase in the price of gold. 3. New capital for development. 4. The discovery of new deposits. 5. The revival of hydraulic mining.

Jan 1, 1925

By E. C. W. Perryman

The recovery of X-ray line broadening, hardness, and electrical resistivity from cold worked AI-Mg alloys has been investigated. The results, together with those from density measurements, suggest that magnesium atoms freeze in the excess vacancies formed by cold working, and that this affects the climb of dislocations during the recovery process. PREVIOUS work1, " has shown that while 1 pct Mg increases the activation energy for recrystalliza-tion, it decreases the activation energy for the recovery of mechanical properties and decreases the subgrain size both after cold working and annealing. A similar result has been reported by Varley2 for an A1-2 pct Mg alloy. With plastic deformation at high temperatures, McLean and Farmer' and Rachinger have found that magnesium appears to retard the motion of dislocations and, furthermore, they find little or no effect of magnesium on the size of subgrains formed during high temperature deformation. In view of the apparent contradictions as to the effect of magnesium on subgrain size, the recovery process in Al-Mg alloys has been investigated more thoroughly by studying the annealing out of X-ray line broadening, hardness, and electrical resistivity from alloys cold worked at room temperature. Material Used—The chemical analyses of the alloys are given in Table I. Fabrication—The material used was cold rolled 20 pct at room temperature, the grain size prior to the last cold rolling operation being similar to that used in previous work; i.e., 230. The experimental procedure for annealing, determination of X-rav half-veak breadth. hardness measurement, electEica1 resistivity, and density and metallographic examination was exactly the same as previously described." Variation of X-Ray Half-Peak Breadth with Annealing Time—Isothermal annealing curves at 100°, 200°, and 250°C were obtained for material cold worked 20 pct. The half-peak breadth of the (333) Ka, line directly after cold working is shown as a function of magnesium content in Fig. 1. Only with the 2.87 pct Mg alloy was overlapping of the a, and n.. reflections observed to any appreciable extent. To separate these, Rachinger's method' was used. Typical isothermal annealing curves are shown in Figs. 2 and 3 for 100" and 200°C, respectively. These curves are similar to those obtained previously for super-purity aluminum except that the

Jan 1, 1957

By R. L. Bowron

GROWING use of basic slag in the agricultural industry is of special interest and importance to the iron and steel industry of the Birmingham district, providing an increasing outlet for this by- product. Such use of basic slag was first developed in England about fifty years ago where it soon became wide- spread. About twenty years ago the Tennessee Coal, Iron & R. R. Co. began its production in the United States after exhaustive tests had demonstrated its high value here as in Eng- land. It is particularly valuable on heavy clay and acid soils, improving their physical condition, increasing their alkalinity where that is desirable, and providing soluble phosphate and small amounts of manganese to soils deficient in these respects. Its use in agriculture is growing as its advantages are becoming more widely known.

Jan 1, 1937

By H. E. Gross

A plausrsle method of drilling beyond the continental shelves is set forth with limitations of the method. The continental shelves comprise the water-covered portions of land masses out to 600 ft. of water, or roo fathoms. The problems and possibilities of drilling beyond this depth are discussed in this paper. Introduction Much attention is being given the problem of developing petroleum beneath the open sea. Geophysical surveys have been made 26 miles offshore1 from the continental United States, and onco offshore ownership is established it is likely that there will be drilling for oil on the continental shelves. More than two years ago the author presented the means for drilling in deep water.2 at the fall meeting of the Petroleum Division of the AIME at Los Angeles. His concepts then were based on the use of rigid foundations suitable for drilling in water up to 600 ft. deep. The present paper suggests a method for drilling in deeper water. Possibilities and Problems of Drilling beyond the continental shelves It being conceded that because restricted deep-water portions of the hydrosphere might contain oil in commercial quantities, and that at any rate it is pertinent to know more of the nature of the lithosphere beneath the hydrosphere, the possibilities and problems of drilling beyond the continental shelves should be set forth. Drilling in open water would offer few if any advantages over drilling on land. These are: 1. The ocean transportation is available to deep-water drilling sites, and extensive pipe lines and roads are unnecessary. 2. Refinery facilities and markets perhaps are established on the near-by shore where adjacent fields on land are nearing depletion. 3. There is freedom from jungle pests and tropical diseases. 4. Competitive drilling is less likely. 5. Extensive areas attractive for development arc not yet under lease or concession. Disadvantages are great and numerous: 1. Storm hazards from wind and wave. 2. Expensive foundations, either rigid or floating. 3. Shutdown times because of weather. 4. Marine Regulations of Federal Bureaus in addition to customary regulations on land. 5. Frequent difficulty in moving men and materials to and from drilling platforms. 6. Extra precautions required in open sea. For drilling in water more than 500 or 600 ft. deep, rigid foundations2 become too costly, and floating foundations must be used, and they must meet the following requirements:

Jan 1, 1947

By H. E. Gross

A plausrsle method of drilling beyond the continental shelves is set forth with limitations of the method. The continental shelves comprise the water-covered portions of land masses out to 600 ft. of water, or roo fathoms. The problems and possibilities of drilling beyond this depth are discussed in this paper. Introduction Much attention is being given the problem of developing petroleum beneath the open sea. Geophysical surveys have been made 26 miles offshore1 from the continental United States, and onco offshore ownership is established it is likely that there will be drilling for oil on the continental shelves. More than two years ago the author presented the means for drilling in deep water.2 at the fall meeting of the Petroleum Division of the AIME at Los Angeles. His concepts then were based on the use of rigid foundations suitable for drilling in water up to 600 ft. deep. The present paper suggests a method for drilling in deeper water. Possibilities and Problems of Drilling beyond the continental shelves It being conceded that because restricted deep-water portions of the hydrosphere might contain oil in commercial quantities, and that at any rate it is pertinent to know more of the nature of the lithosphere beneath the hydrosphere, the possibilities and problems of drilling beyond the continental shelves should be set forth. Drilling in open water would offer few if any advantages over drilling on land. These are: 1. The ocean transportation is available to deep-water drilling sites, and extensive pipe lines and roads are unnecessary. 2. Refinery facilities and markets perhaps are established on the near-by shore where adjacent fields on land are nearing depletion. 3. There is freedom from jungle pests and tropical diseases. 4. Competitive drilling is less likely. 5. Extensive areas attractive for development arc not yet under lease or concession. Disadvantages are great and numerous: 1. Storm hazards from wind and wave. 2. Expensive foundations, either rigid or floating. 3. Shutdown times because of weather. 4. Marine Regulations of Federal Bureaus in addition to customary regulations on land. 5. Frequent difficulty in moving men and materials to and from drilling platforms. 6. Extra precautions required in open sea. For drilling in water more than 500 or 600 ft. deep, rigid foundations2 become too costly, and floating foundations must be used, and they must meet the following requirements:

Jan 1, 1947

By D. T. Peters, C. R. Cupp

Aging of commercial 18 pct Ni maraging steel and of related binary, ternary, and quaternary alloys has been studied by electrical resistivity, X-ray diffrac-tion, and hardness measurements. The aging process is in three stages: 1) recovery of martensite; 2) two precipitation reactions; 3) formation of nickel- rich austenite. The main objective of this work was to discover the nature of the Co-Mu interaction. Addition of cobalt to the Fe-18 pct Ni-5pct Mo alloy results in acceleration of the pvecipitation reaction by increasing the super-sat~lration 0f molybdenum. The cobalt-containing al- loys show no incubation period for the precipitation reaction, but the alloy without cobalt shows an initial slow reaction. These results are interpreted in terms of precipitation on dislocations. At low aging temperatures, the presence of cobalt leads to the appearance of a second type of precipitate which is a particularly effective hardener. Cobalt was found to retard the formation of austenite. Overaging is a combination of classical overaging and the formation of austenite in the structure. he- activation energy for the precipitation reaction determined from resistivity ,measurements is 42.8 kcal per mole and the growth of the precipitate is found to obey at law at high tenzperatures and a tU3 law at low temperatures. HE mechanism of strengthening of the 18 pct Ni maraging steels has been studied extensively since 1962.'-? The strengthening is due to precipitation hardening of the martensitic matrix. The main precipitate is an inter metallic compound involving molybdenum, but there is disagreement about its identity.

Jan 1, 1967

By J. R. Long, E. T. Hayes, R. S. Dean, F. S. Wartman

THE production of titanium in 15-1b. lots and with a purity sufficient to be consolidated into ductile metal, as described in a previous paper,1 has provided adequate material for a study of the : physical properties of titanium and a more thorough examination of its working qualities. Data on the physical properties reported in that paper were obtained on metal fabricated by a fixed procedure, standardized for the purpose of control of the reduction, and are representative only of material fabricated under those conditions. There are many possible variables in the working schedule, which will have significant effects on the properties of the finished material; and since the previous working methods were not necessarily the best, an investigation of the fabrication of titanium by other methods was undertaken. In this work the consolidation of the powder by pressing and sintering was conducted essentially as outlined in the report cited' and all efforts were centered on fabrication methods for those powders and the properties produced by them. Hardness, density, microstructure, and tensile properties were determined at various stages in the working and annealing; and resistivity measurements were made on a few bars and drawn wire. [ ] CONSOLIDATION OF THE POWDER The screen analysis of the available titanium powder is given in Table I. No attempt was made to alter the size distribution from that noted because this powder, although coarse by normal powder-metallurgy standards, produced acceptable compacts suitable for the present work. Because of their large specific surface, finer powders are more contaminated by oxygen and produce harder compacts, which are difficult to work. The powder as produced is soft, compresses in a normal fashion, and exhibits very little tendency to adhere to the die surfaces. Unlike aluminum and magnesium powders, it can be readily pressed without the use of die lubricants. When compacted at so tons per

Jan 1, 1946

By J. K. Gustafson

Since prehistoric times, gold has been sought for its beauty and its unusual physical and chemical properties. Early in the dawn of civilization it became the ultimate unit of value, and for at least 6000 years it has been used to barter for other commodities. It has been prospected for, treasured and made into works of art and personal adornment. From time to time, it has even been the object of conquest. Because of its predominant role as a basis for money in recent centuries, economists have come to think of gold solely in these terms. Gold, however, has physical and chemical properties that make it one of the most useful metals in the modern world. It is the most ductile metal known. An ounce of it can be drawn into a continuous wire over 35 miles long. It is also so malleable that an ounce of it can be beaten into films 0.00001 in. thick covering 68 sq ft of surface. It has a density of 19.3 and is so heavy that 1 cu ft of it weighs more than half a ton. Gold is nonmagnetic and has a high electric conductivity that is only slightly less than that of silver and copper. Gold is so inert to all the chemicals found in nature that gold coins and jewelry buried beneath the soil or at the bottom of the sea for thousands of years appear to be as bright and perfect as when they were first immersed. Finally, gold has an extremely high reflectivity of both light and infrared rays.

Jan 1, 1971

By Ralph Hultgren

FEW phase diagrams of alloys composed of two transition metals have been adequately studied, probably because of the high melting points involved. Transition metals are the elements that have inner shells incompletely filled with electrons. They comprise groups IIIa to Villa of the periodic table, including more than half of all metals. We have chosen to study two systems whose comparatively low melting points allowed the alloys to be melted in a molybdenum resistance furnace. The nickel-palladium system proved to consist of a simple series of solid solutions, but iron-palladium manifested several remarkable features. The main characteristics of the latter diagram were decisively established, but lack of time prevented precise determination of phase boundaries. The gamma to alpha transformation in this system is unusual and warrants further study. Grigorjew1 determined the liquidus and solidus of the iron-palladium system by thermal methods. He found a minimum melting point, but no eutectic. He also found that palladium lowered the gamma to alpha and raised the gamma to delta transformation temperatures of iron, with a complete series of solid solutions existing between gamma iron and palladium. His measurements also indicated a compound or super-lattice near the composition FePd3. Jellinghaus2 found that annealing at 500° C. greatly increased the magnetic coercive force of an alloy of composition FePd. X-ray dif-fraction photographs showed that a tetragonal ordered phase had formed during the anneal.

Jan 1, 1939